UUA Partners in India Pay Tribute to Parks

Rosa Parks, whose refusal to move to the back of the bus started the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, at Metropolitan Community Church in Boston October 16, 1983. Photo by Ellen Shub  2005. All rights reserved.

Henry Hampton, creator of Eyes on the Prize of Blackside, congratulates Rosa Parks on receiving the Roger Baldwin Award of the ACLU Massachusetts at the Bill of Rights Dinner in Boston, MA, 1987. Photo by Ellen Shub . All rights reserved.

(Washington, DC, October 25, 2005) The news of Rosa Parks' death had an impact far beyond the United States, even among the UUA's partners in the Holdeen India Program. One of those long time partners, Vivek Pandit, is a leader in India 's Anti-Slavery Movement and the recipient of several international human rights awards. A significant part of his work is supporting Indian trade unions for recently freed slaves. He is currently in Washington, DC, for meetings with Holdeen India Program Director Kathy Sreedhar and others.

According to Sreedhar, as soon as Pandit read the news he called his colleagues back home. They immediately held a gathering to pay tribute.

"The passing of Rosa Parks was like losing a member of my family, and the civil rights family at large," said Pandit. "She was an inspiration to union members and was a symbol of courage to say "no." She was the mother of the civil rights movements. She was honored as the daughter of Mahatma Gandhi. I pay respects on behalf of members of the Indian trade union."

The unions have declared Wednesday, October 26, 2005 as a day of mourning in her honor.

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